Vision Smart Growth Awards, Summit

We also deeply missed being able to gather with 1,000 community leaders at a live Smart Growth Awards this year. We are grateful for all our sponsors at Vision Long Island do to advance Smart Growth, their focus on serving Main Street (especially now!) and for their endeavors — like so many other nonprofits — to ensure their important work continues.

The online version was still deeply valuable. You can read a brief description of the honorees here. Check out their YouTube page for a video of the event itself, as well as great videos at the sites with the honorees.

Please also continue to check out the Long Island Main Street Alliance for news and information aimed at helping Long Island’s small businesses.

The Smart Growth Summit will also be virtual this year!

“In a time of social distancing and being unable to meet in person, the 19th Annual Long Island Smart Growth Summit is an event that takes on more importance as we seek to assist our local communities through economic recovery guided by placemaking principles.

This year, due to the ongoing pandemic, we will be holding a virtual program that will feature workshops, technical worksessions, and plenary sessions on regional and local issues facing downtown redevelopment, complete streets projects, infrastructure investment, regulatory relief and economic recovery through the Coronavirus.

For years, Vision has brought together thousands of civic members, chambers, community-minded developers, environmentalists, design professionals, labor, academics, seniors, young people, and minority owned businesses along with federal, state, county, town and village officials from Long Island and the region.

We need your continued energy and participation to help shape recovery efforts so the many years of progress made in our local communities is not lost.”

When: December 2nd through 4th

For More Info and to Register: Visit their Eventbrite page

ERASE Racism Virtual Benefit

Join the movement for a Just Long Island at ERASE Racism’s Virtual Benefit. Your participation and donation will help them to address structural racism in our communities and increase equity in housing and education.

When: November 17th

Honoring: Roger Tilles philanthropist and New York State Regent for Long Island. (You can read our own recent piece on Roger here), and Newsday for their 2019 investigative report, “Long Island Divided,” which exposed widespread evidence of civil rights violations.

Leadership Awardee: SCO Family of Services for demonstrating a strategic commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Silent Auction: Open from November 9th–18th. To participate, please visit https://ERASE.givesmart.com/

To Purchase E-Journal Ads, or for Sponsorship Information: visit www.eraseracismny.org.

To Support ERASE Racism: Make a donation here.

The Breakfast Club is Back, Offering Comfort and Inspiration to the Unemployed

Valentina Janek’s vocation is to show that she is unstoppable, and so are you!

She is pleased to announce that meetings of the Long Island Breakfast Club, which is designed to uplift and inspire middle aged folks who are out of work, have resumed.

When: Saturdays, November 14th and December 12th at 9am

Where: G’s Club, 157 Hempstead Ave, W. Hempstead

To RSVP: Email vjanek@optonline.net

So have meetings of the Long Island Writer’s Club designed to help you get that book written!

When: Tuesdays November 17th and December 15th at 6pm

Where: G’s Club, 157 Hempstead Ave, W. Hempstead

Fee: $30

To Register: Email vjanek@optonline.net or call 516-314-8989

Additionally, their LI Breakfast Show, billed as Long Island’s #1 Talk show, has a new website! She recommends you tune in and check out “The Foodies” with their regular reviews of LI restaurants. Tina Valentina & Gregg Cajuste are confident they offer the best Podcast at G’s Club twice a week as well as a new YouTube Channel. Most recently, check out their 100th Show on You Tube. For sponsorships, contact vjanek@optonline.net or call 516-314-8989.

The Coltrane Home – A Story in Pictures

Photo of Elvis Costello and Yushiro “Fuji” Fujioka by Katheryn Laible

We were really interested in Steve Fulgoni’s story about discovering the John & Alice Coltrane Home in Dix Hills, and his journey since. We’ll tell you more about that soon. First, though, we’ve started tracing our own journey volunteering with the wonderful Friends of the Coltrane Home.

For Katie, it all started when Trudy and Tawaun Weber, normally in church on a Sunday morn, showed up at her door and said, “Get in the car. Bring your camera. Now.”

She went, soon finding herself in the Greenwich Village restaurant of one of the world’s greatest collectors of all things Coltrane, Yushiro “Fuji” Fujioka. There, musical greats, local community members and others joined in a very special event to celebrate the purchase of the home and to passionately advance an endeavor to transform it into a museum and education center worthy of its former owners’ extraordinary, multifaceted legacies.

Here is the story of that day in pictures.

Proceeds from any purchases beyond production costs benefit the Friends of the Coltrane Home. Please contact Katie to inquire about pieces.

 

We Love Our Librarians! Nominating Helen Crosson

Helen Crosson

We are grateful to know great librarians. Recently, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with Ellen Druda, who is doing incredible things for the Coltrane Home Project. We also deeply appreciate Susan Goldberg, who’s known to have people who happen to stand next to her smiling, and who has built a library for Elwood. We were privileged to work with Michelle Lauer-Bader on crafting “Community Conversations,” and have caught her around town helping out Long Island Cares since her own retirement. Recently, we had the opportunity to nominate one for national recognition through the “I Love My Librarian” award. For that, we chose Helen Crosson, who we find embodies and amplifies the spirit of the American Library.

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Election Day Guidance from the Huntington League of Women Voters

To vote in the upcoming elections, you much get registered THIS WEEK! We are grateful to guest blogger, Judie Gorenstein of the Huntington League of Women Voters for this Election Day FAQ:Last month, we shared items we found on Gratitude and Kindness. Now, we touch on acts that naturally follow: Giving and Hope.

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Smacked by the Storm: Event Review

Madeline Singas and Jeff Reynolds

Last month, we shared items we found on Gratitude and Kindness. Now, we touch on acts that naturally follow: Giving and Hope.

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